Celtic drawn against Zenit St. Petersburg in Europa round of 32 clash

The round of 32 draws for the Europa league has been held and Celtic have gotten a crunchy tie for themselves. The Hoops will square up against Russia big boys, Zenit Saint Petersburg. Celtic had earlier qualified for the round of 32 through their third-place finish in the champions league in a group that had Barcelona and Juventus.

The games will be played on February 15th first at Park head before the Hoops travel down to Russia. This is Celtic opportunity to stake a claim in the European scene. A good outing in the Europa won’t be a bad season in Europe for Brendan Rodgers and his boys.

There are some few things Celtic have to do before the start of the next round in February. One of those is adequate reinforcement. Their current team lacks players who have experience in European competition and will struggle when they face a team like Zenit in a country like Russia.

It is a game that Celtic have to win over two legs. Any other result will be deeming a failure for Rodgers.

Injuries have also contributed to Celtic’s season. After losing their unbeaten run, Celtic have been unfortunate with some key players being injured. Patrick Roberts and first choice goalkeeper, Gordon will both not be available for the match. This means that there will be a void in the team. It is expected that Rodgers will sign new players in the winter window.

To win over both legs, players like Moussa Dembele have to turn up for the club as some magical moment might be the difference. With his head turned by loads of interest coming for him, Celtic have to find a way to keep him and have him be at his best come February.